Divya Deshmukh to compete in Open section of Grand Swiss Chess: What it means

India Today

a day ago

"Chess does not fit women properly. It's a fight, you know? Women are weaker fighters."This was a statement made in 1989 by the undisputed king of chess at that time, Garry Kasparov to Playboy magazine. It was a statement that raised eyebrows and actually stoked the fire in female competitors. Then came Judit Polgar, who broke all the notions of women in chess and became the first female in the sport's history to achieve 2700 rating points. Polgar competed against male competitors and even recorded India's very own Viswanathan Anand. advertisementReaching the fag end of his career, Kasparov accepted defeat on the front that women can actually give men a run for their money in chess.
Now, India's Divya Deshmukh is all set to go down the path of Polgar. Divya's story is well-known to everyone by now. A young, bright and confident girl who made all the noise by winning the Women's Chess World Cup by beating compatriot Koneru Humpy to become the first Indian to do so. Praise from all corners followed and the celebrations were grand but young Divya is now focused on the Candidates tournament. Now, while preparing for a big tournament like the Candidates, we usually see stars trying their hand in small competitions with aim of gaining some momentum and experience. Usually, the difficulty level may not be high. But Divya has decided to take it up a notch. Divya Deshmukh ready for the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025With momentum from the World Cup win in her corner, Divya has opted to participate in the open section of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, which will start from September 3. The aim is clear for the 19-year-old. She wants to perform well at the Candidates and make it to the World Championship match. Now, if she had enrolled herself in the women's section for the Grand Swiss, she would have stood a big chance of winning the whole thing. Instead, she decided to take the route the likes of Humpy and Polgar have taken before her and battle it out against the men. "Divya Deshmukh will play in the Open section of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand after receiving a wild card from the FIDE President. In July, she won the FIDE Women's World Cup and became a Grandmaster.""Both Deshmukh and Aleksandra Goryachkina, who have already qualified for the FIDE Women's Candidates, chose to request wild cards for the FIDE Grand Swiss Open rather than compete in the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss," read the statement from FIDE. The Grand Swiss offers two Candidates' spots for the winner and runner-up, but with Divya already sealing her spot, the 19-year-old has opted to prioritise gaining experience by playing against higher-rated men. Not something newadvertisementDivya isn't the first Indian female to compete in the open section of a major tournament. Several players from India and abroad have consistently chosen this path, pitting themselves against the finest. One of the earliest trailblazers was Rohini Khadilkar of India, who in 1977 became the first woman to participate in the Indian Chess Championship, the national open event. Khadilkar's inclusion was opposed by some, prompting the then World Chess Federation's president to rule that women could not be barred from open competitions.Grandmaster Humpy has also competed in open events, particularly at the national level, where she has scored notable victories against big names. Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu has also competed in the Open section. She delivered an impressive performance in the 2023 Qatar Masters, a key step in her journey to becoming a Grandmaster.Divya opens the door for more women in Open sectionThe call for more women in the Open section is increasing. International Master and celebrated commentator, Tania Sachdev, said that women should compete against men more often, while ensuring that the female titles remain intact. advertisement'I feel like young girls should play in as many open tournaments as possible. They should train and compete against men and not focus only on women-only tournaments,' Tania said, as quoted by Sportstar, on the sidelines of Chennai Grand Masters 2025. "But I also feel that there is no need to take away women's titles. Because, for many players, that is an aspiration, encouraging young girls to take up the sport. [Doing that] will take away an entire generation of chess players,' said Sachdev. The competition for Divya at the Grand Swiss Chess will be tough. She will have World Champion D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi for company as the Open Section will feature some of India's finest. But expect the 19-year-old to live up to her billing of being a wildcard. While the aim may be the Candidates, don't be surprised if the 19-year-old pulls off some big wins in the competition. - Ends